1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photographic processing apparatus having an exposing section for printing images of negative films received from a negative film feeder on printing paper, a negative film outlet for discharging the negative films used in the exposing section, a developing section for developing the printing paper printed, a print outlet for cutting the printing paper developed to predetermined lengths, and discharging the cut printing paper as prints, and a collating transport mechanism for receiving the negative films discharged unit by unit from the negative film outlet and the prints discharged unit by unit from the print outlet and having the images of the negative films in corresponding units, and combining and transporting the negative films and prints as finished products.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the photographic processing apparatus noted above, a combination of negative films and prints processed as one unit usually is based on a single length of negative film or one set of piece negatives (cut negative films each having four or six frames) ordered by a customer. This one unit is called on order also. When the same customer orders printing of several negative films or several sets of piece negatives at the same time, they are processed as separate orders. A photographic processing apparatus for collating piece negatives (one long negative film ultimately being cut to piece negatives of a predetermined length) and prints in one order or unit and automatically putting the negatives and prints in a product packet is known from Japanese Patent Publication Kokai No. H6-43622, for example. This photographic processing apparatus includes a stage of collating piece negatives and prints, in which the piece negatives in one unit inserted into negative sheets after an exposing process are put into a print packet printed with an ID number of these piece negatives. The ID number on the print packet is compared with ID numbers of prints transported unit by unit by a sorter. The prints in one unit having the same ID number are put into this print packet to be combined with the piece negatives having this ID number.
With this collating system, where the piece negatives and prints transported successively have disagreeing ID numbers, it is necessary to check one ID number after another of the piece negatives and prints. Thus, a disagreement in ID number involves a troublesome recovery operation. Even where such disagreement occurs with piece negatives and prints in only one order, the other, agreeing piece negatives and prints also must be checked during the recovery operation. This results in a substantial reduction in the operating rate of the photographic processing apparatus.